By Jasper Myers
A swim in the cold water of the Oyster River on Vancouver Island is how Leisha MacLennan starts her day and has been for more than 550 days since the beginning of February.
Her first swim was July 28, 2021. MacLennan is a barber who owns Black Creek Barber, which she operates out of her house, and began the Cold Water Cult, though she said she takes no credit for the organic growth of the group.
MacLennan opened Black Creek Barber in the summer 2022 on a part-time basis before taking it on full-time in September 2022. Before becoming a barber, MacLennan used to be an industrial climber in Fort McMurray, but when she had her daughter she needed to find something else.
91裸聊视频淚 had to totally retrain and find something that was suitable for mom life,91裸聊视频 said MacLennan. 91裸聊视频淎s much as I love the job it just wasn91裸聊视频檛 feasible to be a full-time mom and work out of town anymore.91裸聊视频
She thought about heavy machinery before landing on barbering. She went to the London School of Barbering and worked at other barber shops before starting her own.
Taking on her own business full-time, although a bit scary at first, felt better for MacLennan.
91裸聊视频淚t felt so much better, it makes you hustle harder,91裸聊视频 said MacLennan. 91裸聊视频淚 find chair rental and self-employment makes you hustle harder, makes you work harder, because if you91裸聊视频檙e not doing anything91裸聊视频ou91裸聊视频檙e literally not making money.91裸聊视频
She also wanted to be home with her daughter and family more, and opening her business allows her to do that.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 so nice. My daughter takes the bus in the morning now, she takes the bus home. One time she chose the bus over me picking her up on the Harley.91裸聊视频
She also loves working for herself because she has more flexibility in her schedule.
91裸聊视频淲hen I have gaps in my schedule I don91裸聊视频檛 have to get up at the crack of dawn, I can go swim down at the [Oyster] river,91裸聊视频 said MacLennan.
The first time MacLennan decided to go for a dip in the cold water she took her camera and recorded it. She said she wanted to see how long she could stay in, and then something else happened.
91裸聊视频淎fter having my daughter I91裸聊视频檝e been heavier,91裸聊视频 she said. 91裸聊视频淓very time I would see a picture of me, my self-esteem would go out the window completely because I didn91裸聊视频檛 look like the way I used to look91裸聊视频atching myself on those videos, it gets me comfortable with how I look and it makes my brain go 91裸聊视频榯here91裸聊视频檚 nothing wrong with this, you91裸聊视频檙e good.91裸聊视频 91裸聊视频
As she started swimming every day and going out to more places, she found it really nice to find other people doing the same. On Oct. 31, 2022, the Cold Water Cult was born with five people in the water for an inaugural swim.
91裸聊视频淓veryone in the group, they91裸聊视频檙e like magnets, they get along so well,91裸聊视频 she said. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e started to arrange what we call field trips because we meet at Saratoga and go there every day91裸聊视频nd when you91裸聊视频檙e there every day you kind of want to switch it up.91裸聊视频
MacLennan said the growth for the group was very organic and there are now groups for Comox, Nanaimo and a small one in Vancouver.
MacLennan said there are days she just doesn91裸聊视频檛 want to go swimming, but she forces herself to and is always happy she went.
91裸聊视频淚f I don91裸聊视频檛 do my swim in the morning, my day is drastically different than if I do it in the morning,91裸聊视频 MacLennan said. 91裸聊视频淚 find I91裸聊视频檓 crabby if I don91裸聊视频檛 do it91裸聊视频hen you go in the water your brain goes into survival mode and that91裸聊视频檚 the only thing that matters. So depression, anxiety, whatever you91裸聊视频檙e stressing about just kind of disappears while you91裸聊视频檙e in there.91裸聊视频
This story is part of the Comox Valley Record91裸聊视频檚 spring edition of Trio Magazine, which can be viewed .
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